Author's Note - Hmmm... I hope this chapter is okay, its mainly just Alice trying to fight "JET-LAG" (THE NEW ENEMY! ;P) and Madam Pompfrey trying for some decent conversation... Not with this Kiwi around!

Chapter twenty-one.

Alice dragged herself to the hospital wing, half asleep, and in the back of her mind kept reminding herself to check out all the potion ingredients and books she had spotted throughout their commons.

"Morning Alice!' Poppy chirped out cheerfully, 'I say, do you know how this window got here?" she pointed to Alice's small, round, black-leaded window.

She yawned and then said sheepishly, "Sorry 'bout that, but bloody 'High and Mighty' Potter decided to Permanently Seal the other window shut and I wanted to let a breeze in."

Poppy looked at her in confusion, "Okay – I guess… Forgive me, but isn't he your fiancé?"

Alice plonked down in a chair, "Yep, and the reason why I am freezing cold in this bloody English weather, when I should be sitting in the sweltering heat of Australia during the summer."

"But it's nearing Christmas time! You know, the time of snow and ice…"

"Yeah, except Australia is in the southern hemisphere. Christmas time is the hottest time of the year! Christmas in New Zealand is probably just a bit hotter than summer-time here, though… But that's understandable." Alice chuckled, her eyes closed as she slowly drifted.

"Wait, Christmas in summer?"

"You've never been to the south of the world have you?" she commented with a sigh. Poppy glanced around the hospital wing, glad that there were no students in yet and sat down next to the New Zealander.

"Is it any good? I mean, I can't image Christmas without the cold!"

"And I can't image it without the heat! I just love a hot Christmas day! Everyone gathered in the only room with a cooling charm on it and laughing at the poor bugger who has to cook on the barbie outside, sweating like a pig, or all of us around the pool and in it! And the long Christmas break! That is the best!"

Poppy tilted her head and smoothed down her skirt. "That sounds a bit like here, except we gather around the fire or any source of heat. But, the Christmas break is usually short, our big one is in summer, you actually just missed it."

Alice shot up right, blinking in shock, "I missed the long break? But I was looking forward to that!"

"I'm sorry dear. But don't worry; you'll have enough time to be able to go to Australia for Christmas! That is, if young Mr. Potter is willing to give up Christmas at the Burrow to go with you."

Alice sat back with a groan, "He better, after all, I've upped my whole living lifestyle for him, he just has to give up one Christmas… And get jetlag… Hehehe" Alice chuckled menacingly… well, it would be if the witch wasn't dozing off.

Poppy coughed slightly and Alice blinked her eyes open.

"Sorry, I've still got jet lag."

"I was just wondering at the obvious abhorrent tension between you two. I heard that you had both been secretly dating and he popped the question to you when they announced the Marriage law…"

Her jaw dropped open, "What the hell? Where on all of God's Bloody Green Earth did you hear that?"

"…God? Never mind, it was just in some gossip pages, rather sketchy and all that, with absolutely no proof, but it made for a lovely story, our Saviour, matched with true love, found in a hospital tent…" Poppy sighed and Alice frowned.

"But, I only met him last night! And you read this…when?"

"Oh, about a week ago! You know, after that period of time that let people announce their engagements? Well, there was a big article, albeit unreliable, on Harry Potter's possible secret Australian lover and that he'd proposed!"

"I'm from New Zealand! And do you see an engagement ring?"

Poppy glanced up eagerly and deflated a bit when she saw the hand was indeed, bare. "Well, it made a nice little novella. Obviously made up, but still…"

Alice smiled slightly, obviously the older witch had hoped for a bit of romance in this sudden and life changing announcement.

"Don't worry 'bout it. I'm sure everything will work out fine, even if the start wasn't that crash hot…' Alice saw the older witch glance down at her own hand wistfully, 'And what about you? A handsome wizard going to carry you off as he's discovered that you are his true soul mate?"

Poppy sighed, "A handsome wizard did do that… but he was lost during the first Wizarding War… I wouldn't be able to bare marrying again, and luckily, I've timed out. First bit of luck I've had in a while! That and my retirement."

Alice paused, "What retirement?"

The older witch opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted when a very irate witch burst through the door.

"MADAM POMPFREY! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!" she cried, dragging, behind herself two 2nd Year Ravenclaw and Gryffindor boys. One had been turned into a boneless blob (the Gryffindor) But still managed to mumble something in the form of swearing and the other had a tea kettle that was blowing steam and whistling for a head and had the rest of his body knitted with wool. Alice looked at them surprised that Hermione's prediction of a kettle head was true.

Poppy tutted, "There's always one! Was it familiars into kettles today?"

Hermione frowned and nodded anxiously, "Yes, and that stupid boy decided to mix it with a Permanent charm as well! Then someone thought it would be great to try out that jelly legs jinx, but got it all wrong! It'll take me too long to figure out a reversal and I have to go quick, otherwise by the time I get back my class'll be a riot!"

Alice placed a soothing hand on Hermione's shoulder as she helped Poppy levitate the boys onto separate beds, "Don't worry 'bout it, M, go back to your class and we'll do our jobs. You can send them extra homework, if you really want to."

The Gryffindor on the bed moaned in more than pain.

Hermione just smiled, "Thanks Fletcher!"

"Yeah, yeah, now get back to your class Granger, before it's a bombshell!"

Hermione raced out the door and Alice turned to help Poppy, relishing with glee that she could now try out various spells and potions on the two boys to see if they reverted back to normal or not… She hoped for their sakes that they'd find the antidote quickly.